Hatch covers



Oct. 24, 1967 J. B. OLSSON HATCH COVERS Filed Jan. 17, 1966 United States Patent 3,348,602 HATCH COVERS Johan Bertil Olsson, Goteborg, Sweden, assignor to Aktiebolaget Gotaverken, Goteborg, Sweden, a corporation of Sweden Filed Jan. 17, 1966, Ser. No. 520,988

Claims priority, application Sweden, Jan. 30. 1965, 1,271/ 65 3 Claims. (Cl. 160-488) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE In a three section hatch cover interconnected by hinges, wherein a first section is hingedly connected to one side of the coaming to swing thereabout, one end of a flexible member is arranged at least at one side of the coaming at right angles to the axis of the pivot of said first section, the other end of said flexible member being attached to the third section at the end remote from the swinging hinge and leads inwards over a first pulley attached to the second section at its end close to the swinging hinge, the flexible member then being lead outwards again 'over a second pulley at the second section at the end thereof remote from the swinging hinge to be finally attached to the coaming in the vicinity of the spot occupied by the joint between the second and the third section, respectively, when in closed position.

The present invention relates to hatch covers and is concerned with the provision of hatch covers which consist of at least three sections foldably interconnected by means of hinges. A first of said sections is further swingably mounted on a transverse side of the coaming surrounding the hatch opening, and the sections areduring opening and closing movementscarried by wheels run-' ning on tracks on the longitudinal sides of the coaming.

The design of a cover is, in many instances, determined by the height available for stowing the section in open position and on many occasions it is not feasible to utilize an even number of sections. It then is necessary to resort to the use of an odd number of sections.

Hatch covers consisting of three or more interconnected sections usually require a complicated mechanism' for movements to and from the position in which they are stowed when the cover is open. It is comparatively simple to handle a single pair of sections, but an odd section makes the handling more difficult, and such odd section requires as big an operating apparatus as does the first pair. Thus, with three sections one must take twice as much operating gear into consideration as with a single pair of sections.

One object of the invention is' to arrange a multi-section hatch cover in such a manner that at least three sections may be operated by means of a single mechanism.

Further objects will be apparent from the following description which shows one embodiment of the invention as utilized on a flush hatch cover. In the accompanying drawing,

FIG. 1 shows a three-section cover in closed position;

FIG. 2 shows the cover of FIG. 1 in partly open position; and

FIG. 3 shows, on a larger scale, the sections stowed in vertical position at one end of the coaming.

The cover shown consists of three sections 1, 2 and 3 having substantially the same size, which sections cooperate with a coaming 4 surrounding a hatch opening. The sections are interconnected by means of folding hinges 5 and 6 which are arranged below and above the plane of the sections, respectively. One-firstsection is furthermore connected to the coaming 4 by means of a swinging 3,348,602 Patented Oct. 24, 1967 "ice hinge 7. The cover is in this embodiment adapted to be operated by means of a single hydraulic motor 13 of arbitrary known design which in fact serves as the hinge 5 between sections 1 and 2. The motor, which may be called a power hinge, may contain two double acting reciprocating pistons which-by means of transmission containing helical splinestransfer the axial movements of the pistons into turning movements. Due to the action of the power hinge the sections 1 and 2 are folded together with their undersides facing each other. At the same time, all three sections move towards the swinging hinge 7. In order to facilitate this movement the second and third sections are provided with wheels 8 and 9 located at the hinge joint 6 and at the outermost edge of section 3, respectively.

A lug 10 is fixed to one section closed by wheel 9. This lug is capable of performing a limited swinging movement and, when in vertical positionas when the sections still remain on the coamingis supported by a stop 11. A flexible member 12, for instance a wire, is attached at one end thereof to the free end of lug 10. Wire 12 passes over pulleys 14 and 15 arranged at the corners of second section 2 close by the axis of hinges 5 and 6, and the other end thereof is attached to the coaming at 16. The point of attachment is chosen in such a manner that the third section will be folded about hinge 6 when sections 1 and 2 are raised, and simultaneously will be moved sideways in such a manner that its upper side will be turned against the upper side of section 2.

The object of lug 10 is to make section 3 commence its lifting movement as soon as sections 1 and 2 start to rise, so that the packing between coaming 4 and section 3 will not be damaged.

The embodiment above described refers to a flush tween-deck hatch cover, but the invention may also easily be utilized with weatherdeck covers. It is obvious that a fourth section connected to section 3 will follow the movements of this latter section, and that thus a single hydraulic motor may operate two pairs of sections. The invention may also be utilized for operating a fifth section from a fourth.

To obtain the primary operation of the sections arbitrary pressure-medium-operated motorsfor instance, straight hydraulic rams arranged between the coaming and the first section or between the first and the second sections, respectivelymay be utilized. Wire means operated by the ordinary cargo winch of the ship and adapted to engage the cover in the folding joint between section 1 and 2 may also be used.

I claim:

1. In a multisection hatch cover; a first, second and third sections adapted to cooperate with a coaming surrounding a hatch opening and provided with roller tracks for wheels carrying the sections during opening and closing movements;

first and second folding hinges interconnecting said sections;

swinging hinge means connecting the first section with one transverse side of the coaming;

a flexible member disposed at a longitudinal side of the coaming having a minimal length essentially corresponding to the breadth of the third section plus twice the beadth of the second section;

first attachment means attaching one end of said flexible member to the third section close by that end thereof which is remote from the swinging hinge at the coaming;

second attachment means attaching the other end of the flexible member to the pertaining longitudinal side of the coaming at a position which, when the cover is in closed position, is located outside the folding hinge a 3 4 between the second and third sections counting from hinge, and in which flexible members are disposed at each the swinging hinge; longitudinal side of the coaming. first and second pulleys arranged on the second section at each end of its pertaining longitudinal side, said References Cited first and second pulleys being adapted to receive and 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS to guide the flexible member which from the attachment at the third section first runs inwards to the gi i g joint between the first and second sections and from 3O67813 12/1962 Henatsch X thence outwards again to the attachment at the coam- 3179402 4/1965 Hamilton 16O 188 X mg. i 1 I 2. A multisection hatch cover according to claim 1, in 10 3224491 12/1965 Hamflton 160 188 which a flexible member is arranged at each of the longi- FOREIGN PATENTS tudinal sides of the opening. 325 4 8 7 1949 Germany 3. A multisection hatch cover according to claim 1, in I v which said first folding hinge interconnecting said first 15 DAVID WILLIAMOWSKY P'mwry Examiner and second sections is a hydraulically operated power PETER M. CAUN, Examiner. 

1. IN A MULTISECTION HATCH COVER; A FIRST, SECOND AND THIRD SECTIONS ADAPTED TO COOPERATE WITH A COAMING SURROUNDING A HATCH OPENING AND PROVIDED WITH ROLLER TRACKS FOR WHEELS CARRYING THE SECTIONS DURING OPENING AND CLOSING MOVEMENTS; FIRST AND SECOND FOLDING HINGES INTERCONNECTING SAID SECTIONS; SWINGING HINGE MEANS CONNECTING THE FIRST SECTION WITH ONE TRANSVERSE SIDE OF THE COAMING; A FLEXIBLE MEMBER DISPOSED AT A LONGITUDINAL SIDE OF THE COAMING HAVING A MINIMAL LENGTH ESSENTIALLY CORRESPONDING TO THE BREADTH OF THE THIRD SECTION PLUS TWICE THE BEADTH OF THE SECOND SECTION; FIRST ATTACHMENT MEANS ATTACHING ONE END OF SAID FLEXIBLE MEMBER TO THE THIRD SECTION CLOSE BY THAT END THEREOF WHICH IS REMOTE FROM THE SWINGING HINGE AT THE COAMING; SECOND ATTACHMENT MEANS ATTACHING THE OTHER END OF THE FLEXIBLE MEMBER TO THE PERTAINING LONGITUDINAL SIDE OF THE COAMING AT A POSITION WHICH, WHEN THE COVER IS IN CLOSED POSITION, IS LOCATED OUTSIDE THE FOLDING HINGE BETWEEN THE SECOND AND THIRD SECTIONS COUNTING FROM THE SWINGING HINGE; FIRST AND SECOND PULLEYS ARRANGED ON THE SECOND SECTION AT EACH END OF ITS PERTAINING LONGITUDINAL SIDE, SAID FIRST AND SECOND PULLEYS BEING ADAPTED TO RECEIVE AND TO GUIDE THE FLEXIBLE MEMBER WHICH FROM THE ATTACHMENT AT THE THIRD SECTION FIRST RUNS INWARDS TO THE JOINT BETWEEN THE FIRST AND SECOND SECTIONS AND FROM THENCE OUTWARDS AGAIN TO THE ATTACHMENT AT THE COAMING. 